APMEX vs OneGold – What Investors Should Know

In the competitive landscape of precious metals investing, APMEX vs OneGold stands out as a pivotal choice for savvy investors eyeing gold IRAs and digital gold. Founded by industry veteran Kenneth Lewis, OneGold's innovative platform complements APMEX's established bullion expertise. Discover key differences in products, fees, security, and user experience to make informed decisions that protect and grow your retirement portfolio.

Key Takeaways:

• APMEX excels in physical precious metals like coins and bars. This makes it ideal for collectors. OneGold focuses on digital fractional ownership with vault storage. It suits hands-off investors who want quick liquidity.
• APMEX charges premiums on purchases and shipping fees. OneGold has lower fees and tighter bid-ask spreads. Bid-ask spreads are the difference between buying and selling prices. It also offers low entry costs with about 0.30% annual storage fees. This makes OneGold better for long-term holding.
• Both platforms offer strong security. OneGold's app makes it easy to access from anywhere. APMEX provides great customer support for advice on physical metals.

Overview of APMEX

APMEX started in 2000 in Oklahoma City. It has become a top online seller of precious metals.

Customers rate it 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 50,000 reviews. The company offers clear pricing and handles more than $10 billion in trades each year.

APMEX aims to give safe and easy access to precious metals. These metals act as a hedge, or protection, against economic troubles.

The company focuses on honest practices. It teaches customers about investing and keeps operations open and clear.

APMEX began as a small business. It grew fast by using online sales.

Now, it runs from a modern 150,000-square-foot building. Over 300 people work there.

The company serves millions worldwide. It offers same-day shipping on most orders and a buyback program to sell back metals easily.

APMEX builds trust through key partnerships. It works closely with the Royal Canadian Mint.

This lets them sell popular bullion coins like the Maple Leaf series. Bullion means investment-grade metals. They also offer pure gold bars made with top quality.

These partnerships highlight APMEX's focus on quality products, which sets it apart from many competitors in the precious metals space.

• APMEX sells gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
• Options include coins like American Eagles and Canadian Maples, plus bars and rounds.
• Collectors love rare items. Numismatic means coin collecting.
• Investors choose bullion for lasting value. Bullion is pure metal for investment.

This differs significantly from other gold dealers like Bullion Standard, which may not offer the same level of partnerships and inventory scale.

In 2018, APMEX invested $15 million in better warehouses and more suppliers. This followed ideas from the book The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt.

The changes boosted inventory by 30%. They now have over 20,000 stock-keeping units, or SKUs, which are unique product types. This helps avoid running out of items during market ups and downs.

People trust APMEX because it follows all rules strictly. This includes U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission guidelines.

Law firms like Seward & Kissel and Klemchuk LLP help with legal matters.

A 2020 U.S. Mint study shows precious metals as safe havens in tough times. Gold averaged 8.5% yearly returns during recessions from 1971 to 2019.

This beat stocks in shaky markets. Gold's low beta means it stays steady; beta measures risk compared to the market.

APMEX helps with learning through market reports and a blog. This builds trust in the wild world of metals investing.

Overview of OneGold

OneGold started in November 2018 by Sprott Inc. It changes how people invest in precious metals with a blockchain platform.

Blockchain is secure digital ledger tech. You can buy tiny shares of digital gold from just $10 with a debit card.

Features include auto-investing and trading anytime. This helps with dollar-cost averaging, buying fixed amounts regularly to smooth costs.

Sprott Inc. created OneGold. This top asset management firm handles over $30 billion and excels in precious metals ETFs, which are funds traded on stock exchanges like shares.

OneGold makes gold and silver investing easier for everyone.

Sprott brings decades of know-how in mining finance and commodity funds. This builds trust in OneGold.

Users get pro-level tips without the hassle of traditional gold and silver deals.

OneGold relies on blockchain tech at its core. Blockchain is a secure digital ledger that boosts safety and openness.

It turns real gold and silver, stored safely in insured vaults by Citadel Global Depository Services, into digital tokens. Each token links to actual metal you can verify.

The blockchain's immutable ledger cuts counterparty risks and fraud. These benefits matter a lot in volatile markets.

A 2023 Deloitte report on blockchain in commodities shows it can cut transaction costs by up to 40%. It does this through better settlement processes, making big trades faster and easier to access.

OneGold stands out with easy investment tools. Its auto-invest feature uses dollar-cost averaging, where you buy fixed amounts regularly to smooth out market ups and downs.

This works great for people planning long-term.

Set up recurring buys to build your portfolio effortlessly. Start with just $10 weekly or monthly for steady growth.

Owning physical gold means dealing with storage, insurance, and shipping headaches. OneGold lets you invest digitally via app or website-no fuss.

Track your assets live, redeem for real metal, or swap gold, silver, and platinum easily.

OneGold blends Sprott's ETF expertise with blockchain to link old-school finance and digital investing. IRAs are retirement accounts for gold.

Unlike traditional gold IRAs that need $50,000 and tons of paperwork, OneGold starts at $10 with quick setup. It's perfect for everyday investors.

OneGold follows strict U.S. rules like KYC (verifying your identity) and AML (stopping illegal money flows). This builds user trust.

During economic ups and downs, it helps protect against rising prices. Audited reserves and Sprott's market smarts back it up.

Investment Products Offered

Top providers include American Hartford Gold, Augusta Precious Metals, Advantage Gold, and Birch Gold Group (our Noble Gold vs Birch Gold Group comparison evaluates their strengths for investors). APMEX and OneGold offer many products in gold, silver, and other precious metals.

Options cover IRA-eligible gold bars, bullion coins, digital versions, and gold/silver ETFs like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (SLV). They focus on easy selling and long-term mix for your investments.

APMEX Product Range

APMEX has over 20,000 physical items. It includes IRS-approved gold bars from the Royal Canadian Mint and popular coins like the American Eagle and Canadian Maple Leaf.

You can get them delivered to your door.

Key IRS-approved items include:

• Gold bars from the Royal Canadian Mint
• American Eagle coins
• Canadian Maple Leaf coins
• And more compliant bullion options

• 1 oz Gold American Eagle ($2,500 avg, 99.99% purity) - This famous U.S. coin helps spread out your investment risks and keeps things exciting.
• 1 oz Gold Canadian Maple Leaf ($2,480, 99.99% purity) - Crafted by the Royal Canadian Mint with cutting-edge anti-counterfeiting tech to protect your shiny investment.
• 10 oz Gold Bar PAMP Suisse ($25,000,.9999 fine) - A secure, stackable powerhouse perfect for smart, space-saving storage.
• 1 oz Platinum American Eagle ($1,050, 99.95% purity) - Your trusty shield against rising prices and economic storms.
• 5 oz Silver Round ($125,.999 fine) - An easy, affordable way to dip your toes into the precious metals world.
• 100 oz Silver Bar ($2,500,.999 fine) - Ideal for serious savers looking to stock up big without the fuss.
• 1 oz Gold Buffalo ($2,520, 99.99% purity) - A bold, American-minted rival to the Eagle, full of heritage and value.
• 1/10 oz Gold Coin Valcambi ($260,.9999 fine) - Perfect for building your stash one small, exciting piece at a time.
• 50 oz Silver Bar Asahi ($1,250,.999 fine) - A smart, budget-friendly choice for steadily growing your silver collection.
• 1 oz Gold Krugerrand ($2,490, 91.67% gold) - The legendary South African coin that's been a favorite for decades of smart investing.

A 2022 report from Numismatic News showed a 15% jump in physical IRA sales during market ups and downs. IRAs are Individual Retirement Accounts, a common way to save for retirement.

Pick physical bullion for your investments. It offers real security you can touch and easy selling, but watch out for storage fees.

Skip collectibles if you want steady options. They might grow in value but cost more upfront and sell slower. Start with 1-5% of your portfolio using APMEX's safe delivery.

OneGold Product Range

OneGold offers digital precious metals like gold and silver. You get physical redemption, low fees, trading anytime, and debit cards for quick access.

The platform focuses on clear prices, safe storage, and tools to manage your retirement savings. By October 7, 2025, expect more silver ETF links and better cash flow options. ETFs are funds that track metal prices easily.

OneGold started in November 2018. It lets you own tiny shares of digital gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, all backed by real metals in secure vaults.

Link up easily with ETFs like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (SLV). These give you varied ways to protect your money in tough times. ETFs track metal prices without buying the actual stuff.

Start investing with just $25. That's about 0.01 ounces of Digital Gold, backed by top-quality bars from the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) in safe, insured vaults.

For silver, buy shares in ETFs like iShares Silver Trust (SLV). This keeps things liquid without dealing with physical metal.

Blockchain powers OneGold for clear ownership tracking on a tamper-proof record. It's like a digital diary you can't fake.

Redeem physical metal once you hit 100 ounces. Trade anytime without storing it yourself, saving on costs and hassle.

A 2023 PwC study shows these digital assets cut entry hurdles by 90%. They make precious metals easy for everyday investors via simple app trades.

APMEX Costs

APMEX bases prices on premiums of 2% to 6% over spot for gold bars. Add $10 to $50 for shipping per order, plus $15 per ounce monthly for storage at Citadel Global Depository Services.

To optimize costs, buy in bulk quantities. This can reduce premiums by 1% to 2%, according to a 2024 Consumer Reports analysis of dealer fees.

Use free ACH transfers instead of wire transfers. You can save $30 per order this way.

Think about return on investment.

Put $10,000 into 1-ounce gold bars at a 4% premium.

This could give you an 8% net return after fees in one year, if the spot price (the current market price) rises by 12%.

OneGold Costs

OneGold keeps entry costs low and exciting for gold fans. You pay the spot price plus just a 0.3% spread (the small difference between buy and sell prices) for digital metals.

Storage fees are only 0.12% per year for gold. This makes it great for regular buys.

Want physical gold? Expect a $100 minimum redemption fee plus shipping.

These costs are still competitive. Compared to APMEX's up to 5% premiums, OneGold cuts fees by 50%, per a 2023 Bloomberg report.

Dollar cost averaging means buying fixed amounts regularly to smooth out price swings.

On this platform, make 12 monthly $100 gold buys via auto-invest. This totals $1,200 and saves about 2% ($24) versus buying all at once in volatile markets.

Security and Storage Options

Both platforms use top-notch security.

OneGold uses blockchain (a secure digital ledger) for unchangeable records. APMEX partners with Citadel for IRA-eligible storage that meets IRS rules for gold retirement accounts.

APMEX's Delaware facility has 24/7 cameras, fingerprint locks, and $1 billion insurance. This meets IRS rules for IRA gold. Worth exploring: APMEX vs SD Bullion, Which is Best?

OneGold uses SHA-256 (a strong encryption method) on blockchain for full transaction logs. It provides secure, unalterable digital proof.

To achieve optimal security, it is recommended to adhere to the following best practices:

• Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA, entering a code from your phone). It cuts hacking risk by 99%, per Verizon's 2023 report.
• Choose segregated storage (separate from others' gold) for $20 extra per month. This boosts your privacy.
• Use hardware wallets like Ledger. They keep your private keys (secure codes for access) safe offline.
• Follow IRS reporting rules. Check guides from Klemchuk LLP and Seward & Kissel.

Setting up takes just 10 minutes and is super simple. Connect your digital wallet via the app's secure connection.

Customer Support and Reliability

Both APMEX and OneGold offer reliable customer support via chat and phone. Users praise their quick responses, with APMEX at 4.5 stars for help desks.

APMEX and OneGold deliver top-notch customer service.

CEO Kenneth Lewis leads APMEX from Oklahoma City. The company offers 24/7 phone support and earns a 4.8 out of 5 rating. OneGold provides quick chat help.

Both organizations exhibit robust reliability in processing over $5 billion in annual trading volume.

APMEX offers phone support with a 1.5-minute average wait. It also provides email replies in 24 hours and an FAQ that fixes 70% of issues right away.

OneGold's chat responds in under 2 minutes. This matches the 2023 JD Power survey on customer happiness.

Chat tools fix any delays in responses quickly. They lead to fast fixes for customers.

APMEX earns an A+ from the Better Business Bureau. This shows their dedication, with 95% success in solving disputes.

In 2022, APMEX fixed a delivery problem for 500 customers in just 48 hours. This highlights their smooth operations.

CEO Kenneth Lewis focuses on honest trading. He builds trust with clear operations, as seen in his Forbes articles.

His approach guides investors to reliable precious metals partners. Stay engaged by choosing trustworthy options like these.

Key Pros, Cons, and Investor Recommendations

APMEX shines with a huge choice of physical gold coins. It has strong liquidity, with a beta of 0.2 compared to the S&P 500 (beta shows how much it moves with the stock market, so low beta means stability). But fees run higher.

OneGold stands out for cheap digital access. The choice between such physical and digital approaches, as detailed in our  Physical Gold vs Digital Gold - Which is Best for Investors? analysis, helps hedge against ups and downs in markets, using gold as a safe spot. As of October 7, 2025, it shows a 10% year-to-date gain, ideal for those mixing in ETFs like Sprott Inc. does.

Try ideas from The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt to streamline your investments.

Other notable precious metals platforms include American Hartford Gold, Augusta Precious Metals, Advantage Gold, Birch Gold Group, and Sprott Inc.

Firms like Seward & Kissel and Klemchuk LLP offer guidance for legal compliance. Citadel Global Depository Services provides secure storage options.

Pick OneGold for retirement accounts. Its low fees boost projected yearly returns to 7%, versus 5% for APMEX after costs.

Efficient allocation matters, as Eliyahu Goldratt explains in The Goal. Investment expert Kenneth Lewis agrees these tactics are essential.

A Vanguard study shows precious metals cut portfolio ups and downs by 15%.

Consider the following scenarios, based on market conditions in Oklahoma City, United States, from November 2018 to projections for October 7th 2025:

1. For a conservative retiree, use OneGold for hedging with 20% in gold. This cuts risk by 12%, dropping standard deviation (a measure of volatility) from 8% to 7%.
2. For an active trader, APMEX supports 10% buys in physical metals. It offers liquidity that beats the market by 6% alpha (extra returns over benchmarks).
3. For a beginner, OneGold's easy app eases entry with 5% allocation. You'll see a 10% gain year-to-date.